After spending time at the Bohemian Hotel Savannah as the executive chef at the hotels Rocks on the River restaurant, Chef Zachary Martin has returned to the Bohemian Hotel Celebration.To kickoff his return and to spread the word about the refreshed menu, Tastes Of Orlando was invited to a very special Flavors of Florida bloggers dinner.Chef Martin was at the property from 2008 through 2012, and with his return, the Bohemian Hotel Celebration has introduced a refreshed menu to its Lakeside Bar & Grill. The new menu features fresh Florida ingredients that focus on classic American foods with a southern contemporary twist. Born and raised in New Orleans, Chef Martin’s hometown roots have influenced his innovative culinary creations and his modern approach to classic cuisine. Chef Martin’s techniques and talents have been fine-tuned through mentoring by the likes of Emeril Lagasse and Bernard Carmouche. The refreshed menu is focused on locally sourced and sustainable ingredients from some of Florida's best all natural farms like Waterkist Farms and Cahaba farms who grow most of their produce hydroponically. Other farms the hotel uses for ingredients like Pero Family Farms and Arc Farms, have a big focus on being environmentally friendly and being 100% sustainable farmers.We started our evening off with a Summer Corn Bisque with citrus yogurt.The bisque was made with organic corn from Alderman farms, and was full of flavor in every bite.

For the greens portion of our meal we had the Beets and Bleu.

This salad is made with organic mixed greens, roasted beets, pickled red onions, bacon, and bleu cheese with an aged balsamic vinaigrette.I really enjoyed the salad and all of the unique flavors and textures. It was quite tasty, and was paired very nicely with the Kessler Chardonnay 2011.

Our next dish was the Crab Cake.

The cake was served with shaved fennel, tomatoes, red onion salad, and a delicious champagne yogurt sauce. To continue on in our seafood selection we were treated to Chilean Sea Bass.The fish was topped with prawn butter and sat atop a bed of soba noodles, pea tendrils and shiitake mushrooms in a coconut curry sauce.The fish was nice and flaky and I thought the addition of a coconut curry sauce was a nice flavor enhancer. Both the crab cake and the sea bass were paired with a wonderfuly crisp Robert Mondavi Fume Blanc 2010.Our final entree of the evening was a Filet Mignon with summer roasted vegetables and roasted fingerling potatoes. The steak was topped with a fresh herb butter that helped it to literally melt in your mouth.Of course steaks go good with red wines, so it was paired with a Simi Cabernet Sauvignon 2011.

We ended the evening with a decadent Key Lime Pie with sugared lime slices and dried raspberry.The pie was very light and had just the right amount of sweetness and bitterness.

One of the many highlights about Kessler Collection hotels is their passion not just for food and fine lodging, but for the arts. As with other Kessler properties, The Bohemian Hotel in Celebration has a passion for the arts at its foundation. The hotel’s Grand Bohemian Gallery showcases more than 75 works of art by local, regional and internationally recognized artists.

During our dinner we were treated to a meet and greet with Tom Sadler, and got to watch him paint one of his beautiful oil paintings.Tom Sadler has dedicated his efforts towards capturing the light, color, and mood of the Central Florida landscape. The intense light, combined with the natural beauty of the many lakes, rivers, and parks of the area provide a never-ending source of inspiration. His paintings come to life as a celebration of this beauty found in nature.
Just like Tom Sadler's art work, The Bohemian Hotel in Celebration is full of natural beauty, Floridian charm and inspiration. The hotel has all of the modern amenities you expect in an upscale hotel, but is set in an intimate boutique setting that is reminiscent of the grand lakeside and seaside inns of the early 1900's.The Bohemian Hotel Celebration is a great place for romance during a starlit cocktail hour as well as a great place for business meetings, with over 5,000 square feet of indoor meeting space. The hotel boasts two lakeside terraces for outdoor events, exquisite cuisine and a convenient business center. From artistically designed buffets and décor to creative dishes and live music, events can be arranged surrounding a particular theme. Along with multiple

function spaces, the property offers a lakefront meeting room where attendants can enjoy the beautiful view outside.The Bohemian Hotel Celebration is a great place to enjoy the perfect balance of old-world charm combined with contemporary elegance in the warm and welcoming town of Celebration.